There are conventional accessories which, when connected to a portable device, add functions to the portable device. For example, there are techniques where an external controller as an accessory is connected to a connector provided on a controller of a game device. This enables a wider variety of game operations using two controllers.
Conventional accessories have a circuit configuration for communicating with a portable device or a circuit configuration for performing an information process for generating information to be transmitted to a portable device, and there has been room for improvement in simplifying the configuration of the accessories.
Thus, the present specification discloses an accessory, an information processing device, an information processing system, a storage medium storing an information processing program, an operation determination method and a process performing method, with which it is possible to simplify the configuration of the accessory.
(1)
An example accessory described herein can be attached to an information processing device. The accessory includes a housing, an operation section, and a movable portion. An inside of the housing is visible from an outside thereof through at least a portion thereof. The operation section is a movable operation section at least a portion of which is exposed on the outside of the housing. The movable portion is placed at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing, and a position and/or an attitude of the movable portion changes in response to the operation section being operated.
(2)
A portion of the housing may have an opening. The movable portion may be placed at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the opening portion of the housing.
(3)
The movable portion may include an identification portion in an area that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing, wherein the identification portion is distinguishable from other portions.
(4)
At least a portion of the area of the movable portion that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing may be formed by a member that can be identified by an infrared camera.
(5)
The accessory may further include a connecting portion for connecting the housing with the information processing device so that the portion of the housing is covered by the information processing device to which the accessory is attached.
(6)
The movable portion may move, in response to the operation section being operated, in at least one of an up-down direction, a left-right direction and a front-rear direction as seen through the portion of the housing.
(7)
The operation section and the movable portion may be configured as an integral part.
(8)
On the inside of the housing, a predetermined marker may be provided at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing, wherein the position at which the movable portion is provided is different from the position at which the marker is provided.
(9)
The operation section may include a first operation member and a second operation member that can be operated independently of each other. The first operation member and the second operation member may be arranged in line with each other in a front-rear direction as seen through the portion of the housing. The movable portion may include a first movable portion of which a position and/or an attitude changes in response to the first operation member being operated, and a second movable portion of which a position and/or an attitude changes in response to the second operation member being operated. The first movable portion may be displaced from the second movable portion as seen through the portion of the housing.
(10)
The operation section may be configured to be rotatable. The movable portion may rotate in accordance with rotation of the operation section, and a shape and/or a design pattern of the movable portion as seen through the portion of the housing changes as the movable portion rotates.
(11)
An example information processing system described herein is an information processing system including an information processing device having a camera, and an accessory which can be attached to the information processing device.
The accessory includes a housing, a movable operation section, and a movable portion. An inside of the housing is visible from an outside thereof through at least a portion thereof. The operation section is a movable operation section at least a portion of which is exposed on the outside of the housing. The movable portion is placed at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing, wherein a position and/or an attitude of the movable portion changes in response to the operation section being operated. The accessory is attached to the information processing device at such a position that the camera can capture an image of the inside of the housing through the portion of the housing.
The information processing device includes an operation determination unit and a process performing unit. The operation determination unit determines an operation performed on the operation section based on a camera image captured by the camera and including an image of the movable portion. The process performing unit performs a predetermined process based on the operation determined by the operation determination unit.
(12)
The operation determination unit may determine whether or not the operation section is operated based on the camera image. The process performing unit may perform a predetermined process based on whether or not the operation section is operated.
(13)
The operation determination unit may calculate an amount of operation performed on the operation section based on the camera image. The process performing unit may perform a predetermined process based on the amount of operation.
(14)
On the inside of the housing, a predetermined marker may be provided at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing, wherein the position at which the movable portion is provided is different from the position at which the marker is provided. The operation determination unit may recognize the predetermined marker in the camera image to determine an operation performed on the operation section based on at least one of a position, a direction and a shape of an image of the movable portion with respect to the marker in the camera image.
(15)
Another example information processing system described herein is an information processing system including an information processing device having a camera, and an accessory which can be attached to the information processing device. The accessory includes a housing of which an inside is visible from an outside thereof through at least a portion thereof. On the inside of the housing, a predetermined marker is provided at a position inside the housing that is visible from the outside of the housing through the portion of the housing. The accessory can be attached to the information processing device at such a position that the camera can capture an image of the inside of the housing through the portion of the housing.
The information processing device includes a marker recognition unit and a process performing unit. The marker recognition unit recognizes the predetermined marker in the camera image obtained by the camera. The process performing unit performs a predetermined process based on the marker recognition result.
(16)
The process performing unit may perform a different process depending on a type of the marker recognized.
Note that when a predetermined marker is recognized, the process performing unit may launch a predetermined application program with which the accessory can be used. If a predetermined marker stops being recognized while a predetermined application with which the accessory can be used is running on the information processing device, the process performing unit may halt the execution of the application program. If a predetermined marker is recognized, the process performing unit may perform a process of accessing a predetermined external device to obtain a predetermined application program with which the accessory can be used. If a predetermined marker is recognized, the process performing unit may perform a process of accessing an external device to obtain a predetermined web page, and displaying the web page on the display device of the information processing device.
The marker recognition unit may determine whether or not a predetermined marker has been recognized in the camera image. When it is determined that a predetermined marker has been recognized, the process performing unit may determine that the accessory has been attached to the information processing device. Note that if it is determined that a predetermined marker has been recognized, the process performing unit may determine that an authentic accessory has been attached to the information processing device and allow a predetermined information process to be performed on the information processing device.
Also disclosed herein is a portable information processing device or information processing system which has a camera and to which the accessory set forth above can be attached. Also disclosed herein is an information processing system including the accessory and the information processing device set forth above. Moreover, the present specification also discloses a storage medium storing an information processing program for instructing a computer of an information processing system to function as the various units set forth above, and an operation determination method or a process performing method to be carried out on the information processing system set forth above.
With the accessory, the information processing system, the information processing device, the storage medium storing an information processing program, the operation determination method, and the process performing method set forth above, it is possible to provide an accessory with a simple configuration.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.